Even after sifting through Cleveland's torso murders in two books, James Jessen Badal had unfinished business. Readers of those books have often asked Badal if the '30s serial killings are connected to similar mutilations near New Castle, Pa. Badal tackles the question in Hell's Wasteland: The Pennsylvania Torso Murders (Kent State University Press, $19), which debuts May 10 with a release party at Civilization in Tremont.

Q: Why did Peter Merylo, the key detective in this book, think the murders in Cleveland and Pennsylvania were connected?

A: Peter Merylo was a cop's cop, the type of guy who gave 200 percent to his job. If it involved decapitation or dismemberment, he was inclined to see them as connected.

Q: What's your conclusion about the profiles of the killers?

A: The killer in Cleveland is someone large and powerful who knew [Kingsbury Run] very well. The Cleveland butcher obviously had medical training. With the murder swamp victims [near New Castle, Pa.], the prevailing wisdom is they were victims of mob violence in either Youngstown or Pittsburgh. As far as the victims found in boxcars [in Stowe Township, Pa.] in 1940, we're dealing with an entirely different person.

Q: What else did you learn about the '20s, '30s and '40s by writing the book?

A: The more I got into it, the more I realized it was a thoroughly competent and professional investigation. They simply did not understand the serial killer dynamic. They always assumed a murder victim was killed by someone he knew.